(1) Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to vehicles, more particularly to a children's ride-on vehicle with a mechanism that can act as a suspension system and/or a steering system allowing a rider to steer by shifting his or her weight.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
At present, there are numerous children's ride-on vehicles with steering mechanisms that typically utilize an assembly array of multiple moving parts (i.e., stem, handle bar, head tube, fork, rack-and-pinion). Consequently, should one of the parts break or malfunction, there is typically a tedious, inconvenient ordeal of finding the broken or malfunctioning part and attempting to fix it, or one may resort to purchasing an entirely new replacement vehicle. Further, vehicles with steering mechanisms typically are not self-correcting and thus not hands-free. Even more, steering in children's vehicle involving multiple parts pose a danger of accidentally having children's fingers caught in between moving parts.
Another disadvantage is that children's ride-on vehicles are typically adapted specifically for only certain types of terrain, preferably smooth surfaces (i.e., concrete, asphalt), and in turn would be unable to drive or ride across uneven surfaces and/or changing terrains (i.e., concrete to soil/grass, descending stairs, bumps in the road, etc.). This is in part due to lack of suspension systems in children's ride-on vehicles. As a result, a rider may lose control of the vehicle or suffer from unbearable bumpy ride.
Accordingly, there remains a continuing need for a vehicle that caters to the range of abovementioned needs while incorporating a self-straightening mechanism/feature, shock-absorbing, and a novel way of steering having minimum moving parts.
All referenced patents, applications and literatures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. The invention may seek to satisfy one or more of the above-mentioned desires. Although the present invention may obviate one or more of the above-mentioned desires, it should be understood that some aspects of the invention might not necessarily obviate them.